Lumber yard closes, Staples store to follow

January 11, 2014

Shoppers seeking office or building supplies in Tiffin have fewer options after two stores announced their closures.

Tiffin's yard of Gordon Lumber Co., 580 Miami St., closed Monday, and Staples, 646 W. Market St., is to close in about two months.

Mark Schroeder, vice president of leasing for Visconsi Companies Ltd., which owns and manages Westgate Village Shopping Center, said Staples will be closing on or before March 31, the end of its lease.

Schroeder said he was told by Staples officials the reason for closing was sales performance. He said he did not know the number of employees working at the Tiffin store.

A message seeking information about the number of employees and whether they would be relocated was left Friday with Staples' public relations department.

Schroeder said the store opened at Westgate in 2001. He is negotiating with another possible tenant but said he could not disclose its name.

"Hopefully soon," he said.

Gordon Lumber closed permanently Monday. A message on the answering machine said the closure was an effort to meet current customer demands and increase operational efficiencies.

It encourages people with building material needs to call (800) 554-2901 or (419) 332-6425 or visit the company's Fremont location at 2625 E. State St.

The company, in the near future, is to open a Findlay location at 6485 CR 236.

Robert Hofelich, operations manager, said the store had two employees. One no longer is with the company, and the other will transfer to the Findlay store, he said.

Hofelich said the company is transferring the stock to the Findlay store and still will have a salesman serving Tiffin.

According to Gordon Lumber's website, a saw mill was built on the banks of the Portage River at Oak Harbor in 1868, and the company has expanded and opened many branch yards and divisions in northwest Ohio. The company operates yards at Bellevue, Bowling Green, Fremont, Genoa, Huron and Port Clinton.